You can make a difference in the Apple Support Community!

When you sign up with your Apple Account, you can provide valuable feedback to other community members by upvoting helpful replies and User Tips.

Looks like no one’s replied in a while. To start the conversation again, simply ask a new question.

Why can I not receive a FaceTime call when my iPad is asleep?

When the cover is on my iPad I do not receive FaceTime calls. What is the solution please?

iPhone 4S

Posted on Apr 4, 2013 6:06 PM

Reply
23 replies

Apr 4, 2013 7:32 PM in response to soontoberetired

Per the WiFi mobile standards when your iPad goes into sleep mode it disconnects from any WiFi connection and stops scanning for them in order to save battery, otherwise your device would have almost no charge in the morning. External polling cannot wake up the iPad as that is not an available feature in the WiFi spec. Apple made a change in, I believe, iOS 4 where if you leave your device connected to power it will maintain the WiFi connection.

Apr 4, 2013 8:14 PM in response to soontoberetired

If you set the iPad to go to sleep say after 10 minutes of non-use, and a Facetime call comes in 5 minutes after you stopped using it then the incoming call will find your iPad and ring it to complete the call.


If you set the iPad to go to sleep after 10 minutes, and 15 minutes after you last used it a Facetime call comes in you will not be notified as the incoming call will not be able to find your device. As I said earlier the WiFi spec does not include any method to alert your sleeping iPad through incoming push or polling. It is not built into the spec.

Apr 5, 2013 9:42 AM in response to deggie

I just got off the phone with Apple Support. I didn't imagine it! The technician said that more times than not, although your iPad is in sleep mode or is locked, you can receive Facetime calls. For some reasons it does occur without running down your battery. He put me on hold and checked further. He said it doesn't always work. It depends on the components in your iPad, your network,.... He said I was hooped if I could not access that feature on my 4th generation iPad.

Apr 5, 2013 9:55 AM in response to gail from maine

Actually, your post caused my to reread soontoberetireds post. I believe what the tech was telling him was that some iPads (not just the 4) are WiFi+Cellular and then can be polled and awoken from sleep via a cell data connection. This route also does not run the battery down. I think this explains the phrase, "It depends on the components in your iPad..."

Why can I not receive a FaceTime call when my iPad is asleep?

Welcome to Apple Support Community
A forum where Apple customers help each other with their products. Get started with your Apple Account.